Always take your phone when out hacking!

[UKa]

Hi, everyone, yesterday I had a scary experience when out hacking alone – my horse suddenly went lame and when I got off to see what the matter was her back leg was dripping with blood; turned out she had an object in her foot which caused the bleeding. She was very much in pain and could not walk – silly me though I had not yet got phone numbers from people at the yard (we are fairly new there) so did not really know what to do and who to call for help; I was so lucky because someone from the yard came riding by and she was able to contact someone for me so we were picked up and taken home I am so grateful to everyone! In the meantime I could also phone the vet who came soon after and thankfully we should be ok it was a flint that had dug itself into the foot – it was all rather frightening though so I urge everyone do take your phones when out and make sure you have lots of numbers on it too!!!

 

[TGM]

Definitely agree with that! Had a bad hacking accident a couple of years ago but thankfully had my phone with me and was able to summon help.

 

[_OC_]

Always much safer,as never know what will happen 100% on that one!!!

 

[claire1976]

ALWAYS take my phone out. Would be silly not too, forewarned is forearmed.

 

[Lill]

Ooops i'm terrible never take my phone with me when i'm out hacking on my own! Don't take anything at all in fact!

 

[samp]

Always take your phone out, my reliable horse that I never fell off bucked me off out hacking and went galloping home - I was stranded miles from home, so had to get a lift and laso check horse had returned safely.
What if your horse spooked and got tangled in something?
Horse tied up?
Slipped on or fell over?
Soemone you were with had an accident?

 

[TGM]

Another point to consider is that if you ride out with children, make sure that they know how to operate your mobile and what numbers to ring if, God forbid, something happens to you when out hacking with them.

 

[riotgirl]

However, do remeber to leave your phone on silent/vibrate. I forgot this last weekend and my friend texting me startled my girl somewhat who couldn't understand why I was beeping!

 

[jayvee]

Yup, always take my phone hacking, wether alone or in company.
The thought of going out with-out it makes feel nervous lol.

 

[Lill]

Think its mainly because i still think in the days before everyone had mobile phones when it comes to some things and obviously hacking is one of them !!

 

[equibabe20]

I always take me mobile out with me i feel lost without it, having said that I went to a Trec event with my friend and forgot to pack my phone into the saddle bags and guess what happened?? I fell off and broke my ankle AND collar bone, thank god my friend had hers with her otherwise we would have had to wait till the next competitor came and we were 3 &1/2 hours from home, very scary

only thing was i didn't have my phone to take to hospital so i had to rely on my friend working my phone to contact people at the yard etc.. to deal with horse.

 

[Dogbetty141]

O god i never take mine out with me I always forget it. I will do now.

 

[Eliza120280]

I always take my phone out with me ever since I got followed and FLASHED at by some wierdo!!! Urgh - gross!! But seriously, if I'd had my phone I could have called someone there and then but I had to ride back to the yard with him right behind me........for about two miles!!!!!! Really horrid experience and quite frightening really x

 

[Marnie]

Also, make sure YOU carry it, and it isn't attached to your saddle - if you fall off and the horse runs home, you will be no better off!

had a friend that did that ages ago, and have never done it since!

 

[ladylisa]

I always take my phone with me, but i must remember to keep it topped up!

 

[Clodagh]

Am intrigued - how did he keep up?? How scary for you.

 

[leskaneen]

I always take my phone out hacking trouble is as soon as it rings my very clever welshie stops dead and stands still till it stops ringing(its about the only time he does stand still)-just hope there s no-one with the same ringtone if we ever get as far as actually competing at stressage !!

 

[pottamus]

I have always taken my mobile with me and even walked back home to get it before tacking up! I have forgotten it once and realised when I got on my horse...but could not get it from home because no one was in to hand it to me. So I went without it and you know what is coming next....
He bucked me off doing rodeo in the field...luckily I was not too hurt as had a back protector on, but it still took me a couple of mins to gather myself and go and retrieve him from the grass he was eating! I was lucky...if I had broken anything I was in big trouble because no one goes down the lane in a car until 7.30 am and that would have been an hour to wait...even if they could have seen me behind the hedge! Lesson learn't the hard way me thinks!

 

[_April_]

[ QUOTE ]
Think its mainly because i still think in the days before everyone had mobile phones when it comes to some things and obviously hacking is one of them !!

[/ QUOTE ]


I remember that even before mobile phones we were always taught to carry money for using in phone boxes! So much better to have mobiles now though lol

 

[S_N]

Yeah, always go out with your phone, with all relevant numbers stored and DO NOT have any hunting ringtones activated

 

[Eliza120280]

He was on a bike.......and it was when I was trying my horse out to buy and he was soooo unfit and was walking sooo slowly - I had been trotting him too to get home quicker and he was knackered, poor thing. If I had been in familier territory and he had been fitter I would have gone across fields to get away - only I was a bit lost and only knew the road way back. Oh well, no major harm came from it - but I ALWAYS carry my phone now, fully charged too!! x

 

[riotgirl]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, always go out with your phone, with all relevant numbers stored and DO NOT have any hunting ringtones activated

[/ QUOTE ]

PMSL! You speaking from experience my dear?

 

[timeandchance]

I never go out without my phone...and whoever I ride with also always has theirs.

 

[Tia]

I always, without fail, ride with my cellphone.

 

[loopeepee]

I always, always, always, no matter how short the distance take my mobile with me when Im riding. Even in the school it will be in my pocket.
I just think about what would happen if a) something happened to the horse im riding out hacking and b) I fell off and got injured.

A friend at the yard yesterday was hacking out, got spooked by a newfoundland jumping through the hedge at her. Horse took off, she lost her balance, fell but then got dragged along for a while. Luckily both her and the horse are fine, just shaken - but she had her phone and was able to call for help.
Also my Dad came across two young girls on a bridlepath last autumn. He was driving (he has access as it's to his woods), and saw them on the floor, with one pony at their side. The injured girl had severly cut her face (landing on flint) and hurt her neck. The pony had spooked, she fell off, it then galloped off. They had no phone and were little older than 10. Thank heavens Dad was going to work later than usual and had his with him.

 

[JessPickle]

Our yard has a policy to anyone who rides the riding school horses no phone no hack. Also liveries are all told to always take a phone with them. I have had a few bad situations and being able to phone was a god send.
I learnt my lesson about attaching a phone to a saddle, pickle ran away and I was left without a phone luckily a very kind person helped me out

 

[jemima]

Always take my phone with me - my family think I'm very fussy!

 

[Grey_Arab]

Never ever go without one. Have had two experiences were one was needed. First time, the girl I was with was hacking a new horse to the yard out for the first time and it stood up and went over backwards and she fractured her pelvis and couldn't walk, not far from the yard, but she couldn't walk/ride. Other time, friend fell off and lost her horse on the road, and we had to ring the yard and we all had to go out looking for him, luckily he was found un-hurt!

 

[teapot]

ALways had mine on me when hacking out, even if it was just an exercise horses or taking a group out.

We had a policy that if we were going to be late back for any reason, we were to ring

 

[foraday]

Also put a dog disc with your horses name and your mobile number on the saddle and bridle so if anyone finds your horse they can call you straight away!!!

Also the Air Ambulance service ask that you put important numbers on ICE (In Case of Emergency) in your mobile phone book!!!!!

I have ICE HOME, ICE YARD, ICE VET, ICE TRANSPORT but another ALSO-put some numbers on a credit card size piece of card and laminate it and carry £1 coin with you and stick it in your hat-a friend fell off and smashed her mobile phone so it wouldn't work-she was stuck and had to walk back but luckily at our yard we have a chart to say where we have gone and what time we are due back so we went out to find her and her horse as she was over due and we couldn't get an answer from the mobile!